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Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Although I don’t
celebrate Christmas*, I’m not unaware that it’s on its way … with that in mind,
I recently put out the call on social media to my archaeologist and related
friends (“Heritage+” if you will) asking what they’d like or are currently
promoting. So, here, in no particular order, are the best of the suggestions
from the ArchaeoHiveMind, coupled with a smattering of my own selections …

Let’s be honest –
archaeologists love books … we read books, we write books, we buy books … so
let’s have some books!

Where better to start
than with Marion Dowd’s award winning The
Archaeology of Caves in Ireland [Amazon
| Oxbow]? It won the Current Archaeology’s prestigious ‘Archaeology Book of the Year’ in
2016. If you don’t already have it … why not? … now’s the time to add it to
your collection! While you’re at it, look for Marion’s new book Archaeological Excavations in Moneen Cave,
the Burren, Co. Clare: Insights into Bronze Age and Post-Medieval Life in the
West of Ireland [Amazon
| Archaeopress].
I was lucky enough to receive an early copy as a gift & can thoroughly
recommend it!

Another great book out
there – holding as much interest and delight for the professional as the
interested non-specialist – is Neil Jackman’s Ireland's Ancient East: A Guide to its Historic Treasures [Amazon
| The Collins
Press]. The Collins Press have an excellent selection of archaeology titles
available [here]. These
include Archaeological Excavations at
Tullahedy, County Tipperary: Neolithic Settlement in North Munster by Rose
M. Cleary & Hilary Kelleher [my
review | Collins
Press | Amazon]
and Iverni: A Prehistory of Cork by
the unmistakable Billy O'Brien [my
review | Collins Press
| Amazon].
There’s one particular volume that I don’t have in my own collection: Archaeological Networks: Excavations on six
gas pipelines in County Cork by Kerri Cleary (just a hint, no pressure) [Collins Press
| Amazon].

Recently released by Four Courts Press & just in time for Christmas is William Marshal and Ireland edited by John Bradley, Cóilin Ó Drisceoil & Michael Potterton [Four Courts] ... a prefect gift for the Medievalist in your life! Also for the Medievally-inclined and well worth a look
is The Tribes of Galway: 1124-1642 by
my old friend Adrian Martyn [adrianmartyn.ie].

The heavy hitter in
Irish archaeology books is, obviously, Wordwell and their selection is always
worth a look, no matter the time of year. Right now that have two excellent
offerings relating to Archaeology Ireland magazine. The first is a one-year
subscription to Archaeology Ireland (posting
to RoI/NI) and comes with a binder [here]
and the second is what they bill as “Retro Reads” - 4 years - 16 issues of Archaeology Ireland from 2009 to 2012 [here].
A quick perusal of their stock includes a really long list of books that are
worth their space on any archaeologist’s shelf & I can heartily recommend
all or any of these:

I want to single out
one of the new books from Wordwell for special mention: Meitheal.
The Archaeology of Lives, Labours and Beliefs at Raystown, Co. Meath by
Matt Seaver. This is a long-awaited publication on the Raystown milling centre –
a nationally-important site of Early Medieval date. Unfortunately, I’ve only
had the opportunity to skim through a few pages in a bookshop, but the little I’ve
seen assures me that this is a significant work from a skilled writer and
thinker – I look forward to reading more in due course. The aforementioned Neil Jackman also runs the delightful Abarta Heritage which, among other things, have produced a free audiobook to accompany the Meitheal volume. How cool is that? The free audio book is here, but please do go check out their other offerings here.

I’d like to take a moment
to put in an additional plug for Trevor Rice, a former colleague of mine and
exceptional archaeologist, who has spent recent times writing on the early
history of Christianity in his series The
Christ Illusion. While frequently controversial, Trevor’s writing is
always thought provoking and engaging. Each portion is available for £2.29 for
Kindle, or free if you have Kindleunlimited, and are high-quality, intellectually
challenging reads. Go take a look!

I realise that the
above is a pretty formidable selection of books. I’m told that people also like
things other than books … I can’t say I fully understand it myself, but there
you go! If you’re looking for some truly beautiful reproductions and
heritage-inspired pieces, you’ll not do better than Colm Moriarty’s
irisharchaeology.ie shop [here].
They have so much lovely stuff, but I particularly like the bronze penannular
brooch modelled after the original from Ballyspellan, Co. Kilkenny [here].

Nord Emporium is a
vendor I’d not previously encountered, but came highly recommended to me [here]. This guy
is producing some absolutely stunning items in a range of metals and prices.
His website is a joy to behold and while I adore his range of beard
beads, I don’t think I’ll be regrowing my facial topiary any time soon.
Instead, I would particularly recommend his belts … just
gorgeous! Staying with the jewellery theme: Tatjana Kytmannow is the mind and the talent behind Sligo-based Queen Maeve Jewellery. She produces some absolutely gorgeous items, many with a distinctly Elizabethan feel - go give her page a look and send some business her way!

Jane Brideson is a
wonderful artist who creates sumptuous, richly-detailed images inspired by
Irish myth and legend. Take a look at her work on her website: The
Ever-Living Ones – you won’t be disappointed!

Another new discovery
for me was a recommendation for Tillerman
Beads. My word, but their beads are delightful! The entirety of their
website deserves time to explore and savour, but their historic bead collection in particular is simply wonderful. Their Anglo-Saxon
and Viking
beads are superb … but when they get down to the level of identifying beads by
the exact cemetery and grave they were originally excavated from, you know that
you’re dealing with something special [here
| here].
I’m not terribly sure if I could carry off a full-size Viking replica necklace
at my time of life … but I’m willing to give it a go!

One of the
conversations that came about as part of my original request for suggestions
was ‘what drone to buy for archaeological work’ … I have a little drone of my
own that, when I have the opportunity, I love to fly about. It has a little
camera on it that’s really basic … it’s cheap and cheerful, but no one is going
to pretend that it’s suitable for serious archaeological or photography work.
The recommendation from a respected archaeological photographer was the Phantom
3 Standard [DJI
| Amazon].
True, it’s a bit pricey for me, but if you want high quality photography and a reliable
drone, this is the way to go!

When I originally asked for advice and recommendations, there was one repeated Christmas Wish from archaeologists. Some put is seriously, while others phrased it in more comic terms, but the core message was the same: lots of people would like a job that pays the rent! It wouldn't seem like a terrible lot to ask, but the archaeological sector remains fragmentary, and poorly paid. I'd love to have a link to click on where you could purchase that kind of happiness and security, but it's not that simple, is it? Maybe not. However, the best advice I can offer here is for every archaeologist still practicing on this island is to join the archaeological branch of the Unite union. Start by going to the Unite Archaeologists - Digging for a Living Wage Facebook page, then watch their video, then go to their Website and click on the link to join the union [here!]. If you want a future in Irish archaeology, this is the best chance you have of seeing it. Give yourself the gift of still having a career next Christmas ... join Unite ... do it today!Whoever you are, wherever you live, and however you celebrate this season at the fag-end of the year, I hope you have a great one, filled with peace, harmony, and joy ... and maybe a few gifts off this list! Have a Happy Whatever Doesn't Offend You! Robert

PS ... want to help me have a good Christmas? If so, please consider dropping something in the Tip Jar on the top right or using the Amazon search portal in The Reading Room section. Each product bought in this manner generates literal pence for me and costs you nothing!PPS ... did I miss something? Something an archaeologist would love? Something that an archaeologist is selling? Let me know & I'll add it in as an update!

PPPS ... It's not yet published but Margaret Hickey's Ireland's Green Larder promises to be an excellent read and a great collection of food lore and cooking experiences. Maybe not one for Christmas this year, but a pledge of even £10 could go a long way to helping this volume see the light of day! Check out her page on unbound.com.

* It’s true! I don’t
celebrate Christmas. Instead, I celebrate the traditional feast of Yule. It
encompasses all the best bits – feasting, gift-giving, bringing random bits of
greenery indoors, but without all the tedious stuff like praying and getting up
to go to church. If that sounds like what you do for Christmas, you might be
accidentally celebrating Yule too!